Paper Heart Reviews

A story about love that's taking on a life of its own.

Average movie that needed a better ending!"Paper Heart" doesn't have any real direction, but neither does life. Are Charlyne and Michael made for each other? What if their relationship doesn't last? It's something the filmmakers just have to work with. From what I got, there's no defining message about what love is, other than it's to each his own. Overall, a cute and lovable movie. The ending is unsatisfactory, but that's because there is no end that would fit the story and remain truthful to real life.

Charlyne Yi embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn't fully understand: Love. Michael Cera becomes the object of her affection. Weaving together reality and fantasy, Paper Heart combines elements of documentary and traditional storytelling to get at modern romance.

"A story about love that's taking on a life of it's own."

Paper Heart is an odd and extremely off beat fake documentary. What's more odd then the film is the fact that I actually liked it. Not a lot, but I did enjoy it for the most part. On another note, I don't think I could come up with a couple that is more perfect for each other then Charleyne Yi and Michael Cera. Both of whom are the definition of awkward. 

The movie really relies on if you can take Yi's brand of humor or not. Most can't, I however, am a fan of the awkward, it's so not funny it's funny comedy style Yi employs. The movie centers around Yi not believing in love. She meets Michael Cera and likes him, but she still doesn't believe in love. Although I did like the movie, it does over stay it's welcome. But it is a short little movie; clocking in at about an hour twenty. We see familiar faces like Seth Rogen and Demetri Martin for little cameos. 

The only thing that really got old was all the old couples that have interview. I can understand a few, but it seems like overkill. They all say basically the same thing. If they would have cut one or two of them out, I would have liked Paper Heart a lot more. The runtime would have came in at like an hour and five to ten minutes, but that probably would have helped the movie a little too. As it is though, I still enjoyed it for it's awkwardness. I would never recommend it to anyone though because I do understand that the majority would not like this movie at all.

Oh my god, I'm usually not that shallow, but Charlyne Yi is so unattractive and awkward I literally could not watch for any longer. Girlfriend best not act ever again. Also this movie: way way too annoying and self-aware, even for hipsters.

Really short, has it's moments of quirk and few laughs here and there, but the lead (Charlyne Yi, who I like in small doses as evident in KNOCKED UP) really get's on my nerves and wears out her welcome. The film unfortunately did too.

Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake M. Johnson, Demetri Martin, Seth Rogen, Paul Rust, Derek Waters, Martin Starr, Sarah Baker

Director: Nicholas Jasenovec

Summary: Eccentric performer and romantic skeptic Charlyne Yi embarks on a quest to learn the true nature of love -- and gathers some surprising findings when she begins a relationship with actor Michael Cera. Real-life sweethearts Yi and Cera star as themselves in this quirky hybrid of documentary and scripted comedy.

My Thoughts: "Cute little quirky film about finding love and the meaning of it I thought the relationship between Charlyne and Michael was cute. I could see his frustraion easily by being filmed the entire relationship. I enjoyed all of the stories told by all the various people, and how different they each perceived it. My heart broke a little for Charlyne in the Paris scene when she expresses why she is sad. Felt bad for the gal. It's a cute, charming, quirky love story."

Forgettable...

Mostly just an awkward view of an awkward person.

Cute and all, but a little sad.

This movie is very sweet, but the lead got on my nerves. I think her whole schtick is quite abnormal and the fact that she acts like that in real life is even more annoying. I also hated how the director kept popping up in the movie, revealing how clever the entire movie was. The best part of this movie is Michael Cera which is sad because he wastes a good performance in this film. I know he is just being himself, but I didn't mind it because he is even more charming and funny when he is not acting nervous/wanna-be charming and funny. I dug the idea behind the film, but thought it would have been better suited for someone who I don't want to fucking strangle because they are literally the most annoying person on this planet.

Overly affected romantic comedy chronicles comedienne Charlyne Yi's trip across America as she makes a documentary on the subject of love. Along the way she meets actor Michael Cera playing himself. These supposedly improvised scenes are so carefully prepared that the only joke is on the actors who think they're fooling anyone into thinking this is unrehearsed. The two stars do have some chemistry, but it's buried beneath such artifice that it renders any real emotion void. As a romantic lead, Charlene is puzzlingly childlike, nervously gigging throughout the film at everything and anything. One of those quirky comedies that thinks it's cute to ask a ridiculous question and then cut away to a different scene before the audience can even hear the answer. Self-conscious and precious.

Nick: Your guys' relationship is definitely part of this movie now.

You know, beneath many of the reasons that this movie will be disliked by different groups of people, due to the aspects of it that make it "hip", "trendy", "indie", or any other buzz words that this could fall under, there is a well acted film here. This is a quasi-documentary that takes a premise and films actual stories/conversations, re-enacts some of them with cardboard cut out art, and finally places a relationship story into the mix as well. It doesn't all work to make a smooth feature, but I got enjoyment out of its eccentricities.

Comedian/Musician Charlyne Yi stars as herself in a documentary looking to have her travel around the country in order to find out if she can ever believe in love. She travels to various locations with the film crew, including the director Nick, who is played by an actor and not the actual director, Nick Jasenovec, and interviews various people about their experience with love. Some of the stories shared are, as I mentioned, re-enacted in creative cardboard art shows.

During Charlyne's journey, she befriends actor Michael Cera (playing a version of himself) and the two eventually strike up a real relationship, which will now be captured within the documentary (You shouldn't have to think too hard about if this is an actual event that occurred in this film).

This film really hits its quirky notes hard in certain aspects, but I wasn't bugged by this. The real problems I had were with the overall tone change within the film during its last act. It follows an obvious structure that just isn't too intriguing. However, knowing that the "movie" aspect of this film (opposed to the doc) is not in fact real, I did appreciate the filmmaking aspect when handling these characters, which showed some fine acting from the three main performances.

This is certainly not a perfect film, but I liked what it tried to do enough to enjoy it.

Seth Rogan: Your love glass is half full.

I'm not even sure that hipsters can say they enjoy this. Charlyne Yi does not belong in the realm of comedy. She just isn't funny.

I should have reviewed this right after I finished it, because now, days later, all I remember is that I liked it. Its cute, flinty, and charming. I think the interviews and the puppetish stuff it what really made the movie though. The rest was good, but that is really what made it wonderful. Idk, the stories themselves were fasinating, but then it also helped the whole documentary end of things. Part are tragic, parts are hilarous, but all around Paper Heart is a fun and captivating movie to watch.

The premise is a good one, and Charlyne Yi is very charming in her own quirky way, but the film just doesn't flow. Sappy, slow moving romantic comedy with a few bright moments.

"A story about love that's taking on a life of its own."

Charlyne Yi embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn't fully understand: Love.

REVIEW
Charlyne Yi claims she doesn't believe in love (although she seems to want to believe in it). She and her friend, director Nicholas Jasenovec (on camera played by actor, Jake Johnson, so that the real Nicholas Jasenovec can spend time behind the camera) hit the road to try and somehow answer her questions by interviewing anybody who is willing to talk on camera. In the middle of all this, Michael Cera somehow strikes up a friendship with Yi, which somehow manages to turn into a relationship (of sorts). Of course, turns out to shift the focus in the film a bit. Other talking heads figure in this pseudo documentary cum mockumentary (actor/writer/director, Seth Rogen,who is a friend of Yi's, briefly turns up to put in his two cents worth). Along the way, we find out a little more about Charlyne Yi (besides being an actress, she's also a part time musician who actually writes & performs some of the songs in this film). Further down the road Charlyne and Michael start to get a bit tired of being in the camera lens when they just want a little down time to be alone together. Charlyne Yi seems a bit too tentative in her portrayal of herself at times. Worth taking a look at if you enjoy quirky,youth oriented film fare such as the above mentioned.

Cute. Not exactly what I expected, and very slight in plot, but extra half star for the song she wrote!

"Paper Heart," a mildly appealing mix of documentary and fiction, starts with musician/comedian Charlyne Yi looking for love in Las Vegas. Spurred on by fears that she will grow old alone(as of this writing she is 24), this is only one stop on her tour to interview couples to hear their romantic stories that also includes Amarillo, Nashville and New York City. Some of which are animated in charmingly low tech ways. As long as the movie stays with her and her odyssey, the movie works its bittersweet magic. And bringing in a love interest in an improvised storyline to perhaps prove her wrong is not a terrible idea. But when it turns out to be Michael Cera at his most feckless whose fame is also enough to pop the documentary bubble, any kind of good will quickly disappears. On the other hand, maybe it is just the movie's and the universe's way of saying you do not have to settle. Face it, you are never going to be truly alone when you have a documentary film crew following you.

Ugh! I REALLY wanted to like this film more than I did...but it was so fucking boring and in love with itself, that I just couldn't fake it. I typically love Charlyne Yi, but she is just terrible here. This hybrid documentary/fakeout just goes on and on with these wonderful little interviews with real couples and then every 5 minutes, those are interrupted with a staged romance that feels lifeless, uninvolving, and hideously acted. It felt like one of those movies that people wet their pants over at Sundance that simply don't translate when you come off the rarified air of that mountain.

So close to something great, and so far away. A charming documentary-ish movie that undercuts its great real sequences with the dicey gamble of a fictional love story (even if that fictional love story is based on a true one, it's still fiction). The end result is all the true stuff starts to get questionable because there's this loopy "acted" stuff intercut. But the charming documentary-style interviews with real people (highlighted by some delightful and odd puppet theatre) are absolutely perfect, and the meta love story, though fishy, is sweet. A daring approach to an age-old subject, with good stuff all over the place. It's just not (500) Days of Summer, though, is it?

4.6/10

Meh. That would be my consensus for ?Paper Heart?, which is without a doubt a misinterpreted mixed bag. I know what to think of it, but that?s still not a whole lot. I can honestly say that while this isn?t the most awful piece of crap of all time, I was never really interested in what it had to offer. This is simply a film that turns emotion into boredom and romance into pretentiousness. For a movie about a girl who flat-out just doesn?t believe in love, it is lacking the necessary depth. Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi are good in their roles, but that?s about it. The documentary style makes it all the more disappointing considering that the on-screen romance (which isn?t that great to begin with) isn?t even real or at least realistic enough to be worth a damn. The film just doesn?t cut it as far as romantic comedies go. It?s not romantic enough and it sure as hell isn?t genuinely funny enough. It has some solid drama in there, but it just didn?t do it for me. It has a good amount of heart, but it?s never enough. So basically it?s just one big mediocre disappointment. Luckily it?s not mediocre in a stupid sort of way, but then again how can it be? A film starring these two young souls can?t be stupid (unless it?s terribly generic?which it very well could be in this case). Charlyne Yi actually makes herself noticeable through both her efforts and her involvement in the actual film, while Michael Cera tries to branch out a little from his typical awkward roles. It doesn?t work terribly well for Cera, but Yi can be semi-delightful for the most part. At least she?s endearing. But she doesn?t have much more going for her. In the end, it turns out to be another boring, forgettable, and formulaic film. For some reason, it has gotten praise from some people. I just can?t figure out how someone could possibly like this as much as some did. I mean, it?s not THAT good or THAT unique, and it certainly isn?t quirky enough to strike me as terrific. It?s not particularly effective and/or funny, so in that sense it fails to impress. ?Paper Heart? has a good shot at the hearts of others, but it simply didn?t capture mine.

This is a documentary which essentially centers on characters whose names resemble those of their respective actors. In this case, the central character is comedian Cherlyne Yi. Yi has trouble understanding love and thus does not believe in it. But there?s proof all around here that it must be real. So what better to do than film everything you do in your pursuit for love? And I suppose its best to enjoy it too, right? Well, Yi does all that and more in her adventure to discover love for herself. And what do you know, Michael Cera is the one to bring it all too her! And guess what else? NOTHING MUCH HAPPENS. As the relationship gets more and more serious, problems arise. A couple cannot truly be in love with cameras in their faces all day. It just doesn?t work that way, and Michael is the first one to point that out. There?s even scenes where the couple tries to escape the cameras and get a little ?alone time? together. There?s kissing, hugging, and more sappiness than an ol? Oak Tree. Shortly after arriving to this film?s promising trip, you realize that something will go wrong. It then turns into something predictable, thoughtless, and melodramatic. I see the message that the movie is trying to tell, but it?s not original. And even if it was, it wouldn?t have helped the film much. I prefer substance over style, thank you. But this time, the film doesn?t have style or substance. It?s left with nothing but a few good moments and pretentious attempts at being funny and unique. I don?t really like romantic comedies?but man, oh man. This is just another one of those films. And the worst part is that it doesn?t want you to think that. It tries to intoxicate you enough to care. And for some people it actually worked. Tell me, how does a super sappy, melodramatic mediocrity piece manage to work? I?m still waiting on an answer.

Michael Cera and Cherlyne Yi use their combined efforts to nearly save this film. But in the end, I still don?t like it. First off, this isn?t even THAT great of a performance from my ol? pal Michael. Cera is more of an awkward guy, although I do like when he branches out to good effect. This is clearly not one of those times. Cherlyne Yi however gives a more lively performance. As the female in the unlikely pair of lovers, Yi gives off surprisingly good vibes. She is pretty relatable and easy to like for the most part (it?s called endearing), although for a comedian she really didn?t bring much to the table humor-wise. It could have been a funnier movie overall, but I guess to keep her character realistic; Yi was required to remain low-key. Now, one of the bests things about this movie are the celebrity cameos near the beginning of the film. Those appearances include Demetri Martin, Seth Rogen, and a several-second appearance from Martin Starr (as always).

I myself have indeed pondered the question that the film?s central character asks: Does love REALLY exist? I don?t think anyone can really answer that. I know that I sure as hell can?t. Well at least Cherlyne Yi takes action and tries to answer her questions, unlike me. I simply sit around and wait for it to come for me. The film makes a good point at times. Love is indeed a difficult thing and can be nearly impossible to find. But sometimes those who ache for it can find each other pretty easily. And in this case, Yi met Cera, and it clicked almost instantly. There?s good karma between the two lovers, which results in a believable romance which is squandered by the fact that nothing is real. That fact alone hurts this film a LOT. And by a lot, I mean a lot. I may have enjoyed the film if it didn?t try so hard to appear as real. Smart people know that it?s not. Is it really necessary to release a film like this every year? Do we really need this much films which try to tell us the events are real although they are not? 2010 gave us ?The Fourth Kind?, and apparently last year gave us ?Paper Heart?. While less formulaic than most romances, that alone still doesn?t make it any less so. This is still a predictable and sappy little indie romance. There?s heart in it for sure, but it?s buried beneath old fashion cheesiness and genuinely dull humor. There?s nothing funny, or particularly amusing, about the experience that this film offers. Sure, it proves a good point. But really, does it matter when you?ve got a terribly mediocre film on your hands? No. It doesn?t. And that?s the point that I?m trying to make with this review. I?m trying to tell you that everything about this film is generic, and there?s nothing really unique about it (aside from the documentary style cinematography, which in itself is getting pretty old). The soundtrack has some Michael Cera songs and some Cherlyne Yi songs scattered throughout. Fitting, I guess.

Romantic, you say? Predictable and melodramatic, I say. This film is not an ultimate failure. It can be uplifting at times, but never touching. It simply does not have enough considerable depth beneath all the sappiness and pretentiousness. Sure, there?s star power. Sure, Martin Starr makes a cool-ass cameo. But you know what, that?s not enough. You either give me what I want (humor, romance, etc.) or you don?t get squat from me. And that?s pretty much how it is with this film. I really do have mixed feelings about it, although try ?Paper Heart? out for yourself. It will either charm or bore you to tears. It did neither for me. But if it were close to doing anything, then it just barely escapes boring me to tears. Still not enough? Hell yeah it?s not. I still want more, sadly. This isn?t a tasty enough morsel. But will it do? Maybe. It?s not painful to watch, and thank god it?s not memorable. But sadly I needed to get my fix for Michael Cera, and I didn?t exactly get it. Well, onwards to bigger and better things I guess. No sense in trying to remember this near-abomination of a film that is neither an abomination or (particularly) a film. That?s my approach, and it may as well be the best one. Otherwise, Michael Cera?s OTHER 2009 attempt is disappointing (kind of like his OTHER 2009 movie, ?Year One?).